100 years ago

april 13, 1911

The courthouse tower was struck by lightning yesterday afternoon but no great damage was done. A number of the slate shingles were torn loose but the clock does not seem to have been hurt, or any other harm done. The courthouse crowd has been told a good many times since it happened that this was fair warning for them to behave themselves.

The city commissioners have decided to have new crossings laid at the two crossings just east of the stone-arch bridge. They are badly needed there. The approaches to the bridge on the north side of Main will also be made to correspond to those on the south side of Main. This will be a splendid improvement and one that is needed.

Wing walls to the Park bridge will be put in soon. That is another of the sensible, needed improvements which the city commissioners are getting put in as fast as they can without drawing too heavily on the funds available for such purposes. Such permanent needed public improvements are the ones which are most valuable and money spent in that way is money invested.

Mrs. McCormac has had a unique window display in the window at her millinery establishment the past week. It consists of a lot of swell looking hats made out of various pans, crocks daintily touched up with egg beaters, pans adorned with potato mashers and a lot more than a mere man would not attempt to describe. And, the cold, cruel fact is that a fellow shouldn’t tell until he had examined closely but that these creations were some of the real article just from Paree. And whether this easy deluding of the men puts the treats on them or on the ladies for wearing such things as they do and call them hats is a question that may be settled by the debating club. This department has its opinion but is too much of a rabbit to say what it is.

W.J. Bryan took his first trip in an aeroplane yesterday. But, he has been up in the air several times before.

Anyone having flowering plants which they will donate for the park may notify any of the members of the following committee: Mrs. E.W. Hoch, Mrs. Fannie Jones, Mrs. Helen Miesse, Mrs. J.D. Saggau, and Mrs. B.E. Shearer.

M.L. Mansfield is a great-grandfather—and he doesn’t seem to feel bad about it either. He seems to be as spry as ever. And, by the same event, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Sanders become grandparents. Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Olsen of Wilson Township are the parents of a girl born last Monday, April 10.